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Association between the safety climate and occupational injury in the Korean working population: a cross-sectional study
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Jeehee Min, Tae-Won Jang, Hye-Eun Lee, Mo-Yeol Kang, Seong-Sik Cho
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Epidemiol Health. 2024;e2024082. Published online October 1, 2024
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2024082
[Accepted]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Preventing occupational injuries remains a significant challenge in Korea. A positive safety climate can contribute to reducing workplace injuries. However, the impact of safety climate on preventing occupational injuries among the Korean workforce has not been adequately explored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the perceived safety climate and occupational injuries within the Korean working population.
METHODS This study used baseline data from the Korean Work, Sleep, and Health Study (KWSH). The safety climate was measured using the brief version of the Nordic Safety Climate Questionnaire. Occupational injury was determined by whether injuries or accidents had occurred at workplaces in the past year. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between the safety climate and occupational injury.
RESULTS Participants who reported an unfavorable workplace safety climate were more likely to experience occupational injuries. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for occupational injuries in an unfavorable safety climate was 2.20 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38–3.51) compared to a favorable safety climate. Specifically, factors such as “not encouraging employees to follow safety rules when on a tight schedule” (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.25–3.24) and “not helping each other work safely” (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.17–3.25) were significantly associated with occupational injuries.
CONCLUSIONS An unfavorable safety climate was associated with increased occupational injuries among Korean workers. Improving the safety climate in the workplace may reduce occupational injuries in Korea.
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The physical activity paradox in relation to work ability and health-related productivity loss in Korea
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Heejoo Ko, Dohwan Kim, Seong-Sik Cho, Mo-Yeol Kang
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Epidemiol Health. 2023;45:e2023096. Published online October 28, 2023
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2023096
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
The physical activity paradox suggests that occupational physical activity (OPA), unlike leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), may detrimentally impact health. We explored the relationships of OPA and LTPA with work ability (WA) and health-related productivity loss (HRPL).
METHODS This study included 5,501 workers in Korea who were recruited in 2021 through a web-based cross-sectional questionnaire. The questionnaire was utilized to quantify OPA and LTPA in metabolic equivalents, while WA and HRPL were also measured. Non-parametric regression, using a generalized additive model (GAM), was employed to visualize the relationships of LTPA and OPA with WA and HRPL. Mean differences in WA and HRPL, in relation to OPA and LTPA, were examined using linear regression models. These models were adjusted for covariates including sex, age, body mass index, education level, alcohol consumption, smoking history, insomnia, occupation, hours worked, and income.
RESULTS The GAM and linear regression analyses revealed that higher LTPA corresponded with higher WA and lower HRPL. In contrast, as OPA increased, WA decreased and HRPL increased. However, within the group with high OPA, HRPL was not significantly lower in the high-LTPA subgroup relative to the low-LTPA subgroup (mean difference=1.92%, p=0.343). This pattern was especially pronounced among workers aged 60 years and older, with an increase in HRPL observed with increasing LTPA among the respondents with high OPA.
CONCLUSIONS High LTPA levels were associated with elevated WA and diminished HRPL. In contrast, higher levels of OPA were associated with lower WA and higher HRPL.
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